If you have not been to Seoul yet, now is a good time to start planning that trip. South Korea’s capital city is an increasingly popular destination for tourists. While not as popular as the world’s most touristy destinations like Bangkok, London, and Paris, Seoul draws its fair share of visitors who are drawn to its unique set of attractions and marvels. From traditional to contemporary attractions and everything in between, here are five of the best reasons to visit this vibrant city.

1. Traditional and Modern
Seoul is both traditional and modern. It is an urban jungle that juxtaposes the old and new. Historical and cultural landmarks that date back to hundreds of years sit in the midst of the city among contemporary buildings. Some of the city’s famous landmarks include the Bongeunsa Temple, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Gwanghwamun Gate, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, and Namdaemun Gate among others.

2. The Food & Nightlife
Food lovers will find plenty of dining options in Seoul. From street food stalls to high-end gourmet restaurants, there is no dearth of places to savor Korean and international cuisines. It is a place suited for culinary adventures with must-try dishes and treats like bibimbap (mixed rice), bulgogi, ddukbokkie (spicy rice cakes), haemul pajeon, hoeddeok, japchae (sweet potato noodle dish), kimchi, samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly barbeque), samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), seolleongtang, soondae (blood sausage), and soondubu jiggae among many others. Seoul’s nightlife likewise has plenty of options for people who love a good party or simply want to find a suitable place to unwind. Popular nightlife destinations include Apgujeong, Gangnam Station, Hongdae, and Itaewon.

3. Technology & Design
Seoul is a technology-savvy city. It is also one of the most connected cities in the world with free Wi-Fi that boasts of fast Internet speed. And it is continuously improving with the government committing more investments for mobile infrastructures. Cashless transactions are also quite common. Apart from innovations in technology, Seoul also is also making strides in design. It was named World Design Capital in 2010 by a prestigious group of industrial designers.

4. Transport System
Seoul’s transport system offers a convenient way to get around or travel to nearby cities. It has an extensive network of buses, subways, and taxis. Transportation cards are widely used and easily accessible even to tourists unfamiliar with the ways of the city. Subways are color-coded and buses have numbers or easily identifiable colors or marks.

5. Nature and Green Spaces
Seoul may be a bustling urban metropolis, but it still has plenty of green spaces. The city is also ringed with mountains some of which are visible from places like Gyeongbokgung Palace. Among the top places for nature and outdoor lovers include Cheonggyecheon Stream, Dream Forest, the gardens in the city’s royal palaces, Noeul Park, Olympic Park, Seonyudo Park, Seoul Forest, World Cup Park, Yeouido Hangang Park, and more. The mountains are also accessible from the city with subway lines making it easier to go on a quick trip to places like Achasan Mountain (Subway Line 5) and Gwanaksan Mountain (Subway Line 2).

What in the world is Steam?

For non-gamers, you’ve probably heard of Steam a lot and been wondering what it is. Well, it’s a broadband platform tailored for straight software delivery and content management. Steam is known as an essential part of the Valve software.

It does the following:

Let you buy and instantly download games using the internet.

Enable you to register retail versions of any Valve game and some third-party games

Gives you access to games from any computer which can connect to the Steam network

Automatically updates all your games with the most recent patches

Enables you to chat with comrades in the Steam community even while playing

Makes it easy for you to browse and connect to LAN and online game servers for particular games

Gives you access to which games your friends are presently playing

Why do I need to create a Steam account?

The answer is simple: Practicality. It lets you play games anywhere and anytime as long as there is an internet connection. So, whether you’re out of town, passing by a province, or hanging out at home, you can play various games through Steam. Because honestly, who doesn’t want entertainment now and then or all the time?

What games can I play via Steam?

The games are increasing in number, and the list includes Counter-Strike, Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K18, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, Rocket League, Fallout 4, Total War, Bridge Constructor Portal, Human: Fall Flat, They Are Billions, and Prison Architect, among others.

Games are categorized according to their type too; there are Action, Adventure, Casual, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Racing, RPG, Simulation, Sports, and Strategy games.

How do I create a Steam account?

There are two ways you can create an account for the most popular broadband platform: You can either use the Steam website or client.

Via the Steam Website:

Go to https://store.steampowered.com/login/

Click “Join Steam”

Fill out the form

Click “Create My Account”

Via the Steam client:

Does my Steam Account name matter?

Well, of course, it does! Your Steam name will say a lot about who you are. After all, people will know you by name, and it’s the first thing they’ll see. The challenge is to make your name appear as amazing as possible. One way to do that is to use symbols. Here’s a list of steam name symbols to help you come up with the best name that can describe you well. The list includes smileys, special characters, and different alphabets. You could combine symbols to make a pretty decent and unique name with the list, so visit it soon!

How can I protect my Steam Account?

It’s crucial for you to stay protected, which is why we’ll give you the most important tip there is: Don’t ever give out your account password even to a friend over Steam. It’s a dangerous stunt, and even if you think the person is trustworthy, some things just shouldn’t be shared, and your Steam Account’s password is one of them.

There are many things about air travel that could the experience more stressful than it should be. While it is impossible to predict everything that can potentially affect your overall experience, you can at least control some of the variables to make it as pleasant as possible. From preparing your own flight survival kit or making simple tweaks in your in-flight habits, here are some of the things you can do to make air travel a more pleasant experience.

1. Plan the important details in advance. Pick the right seat for you when booking your flight or upon check-in. Take time to consider the pros and cons of choosing your seat and select one that best suits you. This may seem like a simple thing but sitting in the “wrong” seat can cause you a lot of unnecessary stress.

2. Dress for comfort and convenience, but make sure that your choice of clothes meets the airlines’ requirements. The last thing you want is to be off-loaded or denied boarding just because you are wearing something the airline considers unacceptable.

3. Bring your own sleep kit like a comfortable or ergonomic neck pillow and a lightweight and compact blanket that will keep you warm during long-haul flights. You can also have your eye mask and ear buds ready to help you sleep better.

4. If you cannot sleep or prefer to do something else, make the most of your time by reading whatever e-books you have on your Kindle, phone, or tablet. Or you can explore the airline’s in-flight entertainment or watch films you have downloaded on your laptop or tablet.

Flying internationally can be a good experience. But you know what? Flying internationally can also be a bad experience, especially if you come across some one way international flights problems.

Have a good experience – no matter where you’re going – by remembering these when flying internationally:

Book flights in advance.

This is not just for you to avail flights on cheaper prices. This is also for you to create travel plans smoothly, without compromising both effort and money on something that could have been avoided (e.g. booking flights at the last minute and spending money at the last minute).

Bring copies of your transactions.

As they say, it’s better safe than sorry. That being said, you should bring copies of your transactions. This is not just for you to be more aware on how you’re spending your money, but also for you to show enough proof that you actually paid for your transactions (in case you’re questioned about their legitimacy).

Bring copies of your documents.

Aside from bringing copies of your transactions, you should also bring copies of your documents. It could be your authenticated birth certificate or your government-issued identification card. This is for you to not just let others identify you as you are, but also for you to show enough proof that you are who you say you are – especially when travelling in countries that require both passport and VISA).

Keep calm if ever anything happens.

No matter how bad your experience is when flying internationally, you should keep calm if ever anything happens. This is not just for you to make things easier for interrogating authorities, but also for you to assess the situation more clearly and to respond on probes more accurately.

Do you know any other tips when flying internationally? Let us know in the comments section below!

Joyously irreverent, Mulroney: The Opera blends political satire with an original operatic score. It is at once a comedy, a tragedy and always thoroughly epic in its portrayal of contemporary political life in Canada. Within the ‘Holy Grail’ of musical forms – the Opera – these stories, scandals and real-life politicians are finally given the larger-than-life platform they deserve.

The story begins in 2002 as Brian Mulroney, Canada’s 18th Prime Minister, arrives at the House of Commons for the unveiling of his official portrait. After a less than enthusiastic introduction from Jean Chretien, Mulroney bemoans the lack of appreciation from a country that has wholly misunderstood him, and begins to bend the ear of an unsuspecting security guard.

Mulroney tells his story: from the early days in Baie Comeau, to meeting and marrying Mila Pivnicki, and from his sweeping win of the Prime Minister’s office, to the controversies that have plagued him…ever since.

From the creative team that brought to life the comic-opera television special “Burnt Toast,” Mulroney: The Opera is composed by Alexina Louie, written by Dan Redican, and directed by Larry Weinstein.

A parade of familiar faces in front of the camera includes Stephanie Anne Mills as Mila, Colin Mochrie as Jean Chretien, Wayne Best as Trudeau, Michael Murphy as Col. McCormick, Janet-Laine Green as Nancy Reagan, Sean Cullen as Bob Coates, and the phenomenal Rick Miller as Brian Mulroney.